According to an article appearing on Joystick, J. Paul Raines, CEO of GameStop, told the site that, “We will be part of any console launch in the future,” when responding to questions about the possibility of stocking the Ouya console.

Of course, there was no official announcement, but Raines indicated that he thought the Ouya was “cool” and that “…he loved the idea of open source components.” The news is very encouraging and could be the tipping point for the Ouya. It is clear that it does have the attention of many, including Raines, and with GameStop selling the unit it could help the unit make a significant splash.

An analyst we spoke with had this to say, “It is clear from the Joystick article that Raines is watching the Ouya and paying attention, which is good news for those hoping for the Ouya to be successful. With a major retailer like GameStop getting involved with selling the device, it would for sure reach more people and have the potential for a much greater impact, but still, software development will be key for it to be successful.”

While nothing is official or confirmed at this point, it is really amazing how many people we talk with are taking about the Ouya. While many are still undecided and don’t know what to think about it yet, all seem to agree that the concept is very interesting and that it offers some very unique possibilities that don’t exist with other consoles. The buzz is strong and that is a good sign; but we have to agree that more software support is going to be necessary for the Ouya to be successful.  With a major retailer such as GameStop involved with Ouya we have to think more developers will be flocking to the console, as it would have far greater sales potential.